System for Consolidating and Securing Access to All Out-of-Band Interfaces in Computer, Telecommunication, and Networking Equipment, Regardless of the Interface Type

Abstract

A system for physically consolidating and securing access to all Out-of-Band interfaces in computer, telecommunication and networking equipment, regardless of the interface type, isolating the management ports from the data network. The system converts low-level management protocols into higher-level network protocols suitable for secure transport over the data network. The system may encrypt the common format management data. The system may also authenticate each User that attempts to access the management interfaces.

1 . A universal out-of-band gateway system, comprising:
 one or more connectors that connect one or more managed devices to a main gateway unit over a common media and communicates out-of-band management data of the one or more managed devices to the main gateway unit, the one or more connectors being a changeable infrastructure that interfaces with two or more different out-of-band interfaces; and   the main gateway unit receives the management data and converts the out-of-band management data of the managed devices into a common management data format and wherein the main gateway unit is a stable infrastructure so that the stable infrastructure is separated from the changeable infrastructure.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more connectors further comprises a soft connector that comprises a piece of software that interfaces with the managed device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the soft connector further comprises a service processor connector that is capable of connecting a service processor to the gateway unit. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the service processor connector further comprises one of an iLO connector and an IPMI connector. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the soft connector further comprises a software module resident on the main gateway unit that is executed by a processor of the main gateway unit. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more connectors further comprises a hard connector that comprises a piece of hardware and software embedded in the piece of hardware that interface with the managed device. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more connectors further comprises a hard connector that comprises a piece of hardware and software embedded in the piece of hardware that interface with the managed device. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the hard connector further comprises a processor, a memory and one or more software modules that are stored in the memory and executed by the processor to implement the management protocol conversion of the particular managed device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hard connector further comprises a physical interface for connection to the main gateway unit wherein the physical interface establishes a point-to-point connection with the main gateway unit. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hard connector further comprises a serial connector and wherein the managed device further comprises one of a Linux server and a router. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hard connector further comprises a KVM connector and wherein the managed device further comprises one of a Linux server and a Windows-based server. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the hard connector further comprises a power connector and wherein the managed device further comprises a power element for a managed device so that the power connector monitors the power of the managed device. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more connectors further comprises an environmental connector. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the environmental connector connects to one of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and a water leak sensor. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more connectors further comprises a soft connector that comprises a piece of software that interfaces with a managed device. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more connectors further comprises a hard connector that comprises a piece of hardware that interfaces with a managed device. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the common media further comprises one of an Ethernet network and a universal serial bus. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the main gateway unit further comprises a processor, memory and one or more software modules that are stored in the memory and executed by the processor, the one or more software modules further comprising an out-of-band protocol interface module that converts each out-of-band protocol into a common management data format, one or more application modules that process the common management data to generate processed management data and one or more network interface modules that convert the processed management data into a particular network protocol. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1  further comprises a network management system connected to the main gateway unit by a secure management network protocol. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the management network protocol further comprises one of secure shell, secure socket layer, extended markup language, secure hypertext transfer protocol and data center markup language. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising one or more managed devices connected to the main gateway unit through the one or more connectors. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more managed devices further comprise one or more of a Unix server, a Linux server, a Windows server, a Blade server, a piece of telecommunications equipment, a network router, a switch, a load balancer, a network attached storage device and a remote access server. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the out-of-band interfaces further comprise one or more of a RS-232 interface, a KVM interface, a power interface, an environmental interface, an Ethernet interface, a IPMI interface, an iLO interface, a DRAC interface, an ALOM interface and an RSA interface. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the main gateway unit further comprises one or more network interfaces that provide a point-to-point connector from the connector to the main gateway unit. 
     
     
         25 . A universal out-of-band management method, comprising:
 receiving out-of-band management data from one or more managed devices over a common media to a changeable infrastructure portion; and   converting the out-of-band management data of the managed devices into a common management data format at a stable infrastructure portion, wherein the changeable infrastructure portion and the stable infrastructure portion are separated from each other.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  further comprising adding a new managed device into the out-of-band management system wherein adding the new managed device further comprises adding a connector to the changeable infrastructure portion so that the stable infrastructure portion does not need modification for a new managed device.